- Keep snowplows away from your tank and drainfield. The plows can compact soil or dig up the area around your system and cause damage.
- When the temperatures drop, you may be concerned about your tank freezing. Avoid adding anti-freeze or any other chemicals that could harm the balance of bacteria in the tank. If your septic is used regularly throughout winter months, it will in most cases create enough heat to stay thawed. If we have a winter with very little snow cover to act as an insulator, it is wise to throw loose hay/straw or insulation around manhole covers and even on the drainfield area or mound. Insulated covers are also available to protect against freezing.
- If you are away for long amounts of time in the winter, make sure your caretaker is aware of where the septic system is located in case of emergency.
- Keep house roof vents clear of ice and snow to allow odors and gasses to escape.
Tag Archives: drain field
Landscaping Options for Your Septic Drainfield
When it comes to landscaping around your drainfield, keep in mind the damage that roots can do. They can get into the lines and begin to plug them, leading to serious drainage issues. While shrubs, trees, and vines are the biggest culprits, plants & flowers should also be researched before planting near your system. For anything being planted directly on the drainfield, you don’t want anything with a deep or wide root-system.
Below is a list of common flora that can be worth considering for planting near drainfields: Traditional lawn (seed or turf), eco-grass naturalized lawn/meadows, gladiolus, hyacinth, iris, lily, tulip, bleeding heart, forget-me-not, ferns (most), sedums, native mosses, violets, columbine, and poppies.
Slow-growing shrubs with a contained root system can usually be planted at a recommended distance from the drainfield: boxwood, rhododendron/azaleas
Trees with more vertical root growth can usually be planted at a recommended distance from the drainfield: cherry, crabapple, dogwood, maple (griseum, amur), Japanese snowbell.
Of course, this is not a full list of possible landscaping options. When considering landscaping near your septic system, it’s a good idea to talk to an experienced landscaper and see what they suggest. Remember, you are looking for plants and trees that don’t have wide, deep, or intrusive root-systems.
Based on the article “The Best Landscaping Options for Septic Drainfields” by Wynn Nielsen, Pumper Magazine.
